Camden Spark
Connected

Our Programme


 

Camden Spark Connected is our programme of activities designed to link schools and cultural sector organisations, with the aim of brokering relationships, facilitating collaboration and developing long-term partnerships to address school needs.

The Three Strands

  • 01. Sharing & Signposting

    We help schools to navigate the many offers they receive from local cultural organisations. We do this by regularly signposting high quality offers through newsletters and by getting to know our local creative Heads of Department & their school needs, so we can target offers and make sure that they are matched to school priorities. We also aim to ensure that creative opportunities are equally distributed amongst local schools to ensure equity of access for young people in Camden. 

  • 02. Meetups & Events:

    We bring together school staff to innovate in cross-sector conversations with partners. Our most recent sessions have provided a space for partners to discuss and act upon pertinent local issues like the recovery curriculum, adapting to alternative learning spaces in the classroom, home and community, as well as exploring issues around equity, inclusion and creativity that have an impact on our local students. 

  • 03. Programmes & Projects:

    We build long-term relationships and facilitate skills-sharing & collaboration. For example our Buddying & Creative Conversations Programme matches local teachers with cultural sector professionals for a series of 1:1 conversations & facilitated workshops. Tangible partnerships & projects have emerged from this programme and alumnus connect regularly as a network every term through our new Peer Learning Circle. 

Artsmark Support

In partnership with A New Direction, we offer tailored local support sessions for schools interested in signing up to Artsmark as well as networking opportunities for schools that are at a similar stage of their Artsmark Journey.

We facilitate peer support and connect teachers with local cultural organisations that can help them to embed creativity across the curriculum and to achieve impact across the whole school setting. 

Meetups, Programmes
and Events

Summer Term 2022

Meetups & Events

Collaboration for Creative Curriculum:
A Cultural Education Partnership event for schools

Tuesday 7 March 2023, 4.30-6pm
Central Saint Martins
Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA

Join our spring term event at Central Saint Martins and explore impactful approaches to creative curriculum design.

Camden Spark’s termly event series facilitates discussion and learning around how partnerships with cultural organisations can support schools to achieve - and even exceed - their cultural education ambitions.

Building on last term’s session, which focussed on identifying barriers and challenges, this time we will hear from schools and arts organisations about a range of impactful approaches.

Programmes


Buddying & Creative Conversations

Buddying & Creative Conversations is our popular peer learning and support programme for Camden’s schools and cultural organisations, pairing teachers with professionals from across Camden’s cultural sector. We welcome all senior leaders, teachers and school support staff (including TAs and technicians) to apply.

"It was really helpful to connect to others who care about creative education, plus it was lovely to be able to focus on building a long term partnership for the future that could be really impactful" (Previous Participant)


The programme will be returning in the Autumn term 2022

Funding
Opportunities

Funding

Explore funding opportunities for your creative projects


Creative Collaboration Fund

In Spring Term 2023, we are offering grants of up to £2000 for schools to run new collaborative creative projects in partnership with Camden-based cultural organisations.

Deadline: Friday 17 March 2023


 

Collaboration Requests

Are you a school looking for a specific cultural partner for a project, or a cultural organisation looking to work with a school. We’re here to help you make the connection that you need - please fill out our quick online form and we will aim to link you up with the right partner from our extensive local network.